What do Gangnam Style, Honey Boo Boo and the Robsten Cheating Scandal Have in Common? They Round Out Yahoo! Canada's Year in Review 2012

TORONTO, Dec. 3, 2012 /CNW/ - Today, Yahoo! Canada unveiled its 8th
annual Year in Review, revealing the stories, events and individuals
that captured the nation's attention this year. The Year in Review
utilizes search data to provide insight into the scandals, news
stories, trendsetters and tragedies that mesmerized Canadians and kept
them searching on Yahoo!.

"Yahoo! Canada's Year in Review 2012 reflects the daily search habits of
users and highlights the top stories and trends based on what millions
of people worldwide searched for," says Justine Melman at Yahoo!. "It
is a distinct way to portray a society in motion through online
behavior."

Kate Middleton is the most searched of the year, followed by a
post-Steve Jobs iPhone 5.The Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon also
captured our attention, along with Honey Boo Boo and her quest for a
beauty queen title. Interest in celebs and newcomers to the Hollywood
scene continue to reign supreme with everything from the "Robsten"
cheating scandal to Psy and his horse trotting Gangnam Style topping
searches.

Top 10 News Stories:
2012 was a year of curiosity and tragedy, as the world went online for
information about Facebook's disastrous IPO, U.S. elections and first
images from the Curiosity Mars Rover. Sadly, the controversy around the
Innocence of Muslims video also held our attention. Closer to home, the
troubling Shafia family and Tori Stafford murder stories also
captivated Canadian news. The top 10 news stories for Yahoo! Canada in
2012 were:

1. Facebook IPO

6. Tori Stafford murder trial

2. XL Food beef recall

7. Shooting sprees

3. RIM's downfall

8. Curiosity Rover Mars photos

4. 2012 US Elections

9. Shafia family murder

5. Innocence of Muslims

10. Alberta elections

Top 10 Obsessions:
As usual, our obsessions for the year were a road map of all things pop
culture. The usual suspects like Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift made
the list, but newcomers like Honey Boo Boo and Psy threw curve balls
that no one could have seen coming.

1. Psy Gangnam Style

6. Paulina Gretzky

2. Honey Boo Boo

7. Pippa Middleton

3. Prince Harry nude scandal

8. One Direction

4. Kim Kardashian

9. Amanda Bynes

5. Call Me Maybe phenomenon

10. Taylor Swift

Top 10 Canadian Economic and Political Issues:
From Robocalls to RIM, 2012 was controversial in the Canadian political
and economic scenes. The Keystone pipeline continues to draw attention,
while Quebec's student strikes meant a lost semester and ultimately
lead to the downfall of the provincial government. The top 10 Canadian
economic and political issues were:

1. XL Food beef recall

6. Liberal party tailspin and elections

2. RIM downfall

7. Quebec corruption

3. Alberta elections

8. Keystone pipeline

4. Quebec student strikes

9. New $20 bill

5. Robocall scandal

10. SOPA

Top 10 Newsmakers:
Much like the top news stories, many of this year's top newsmakers were
linked to tragedy, scandal or worse. There were, however, also some
truly inspirational newsmakers in 2012, with Felix Baumgartner's
historic leap from space and Justin Trudeau's growing role in Canadian
politics. The top 10 newsmakers for Yahoo! Canada in 2012 were:

1. Luka Rocco Magnotta

6. Jerry Sandusky

2. Paula Todd

7. Felix Baumgartner

3. Judge Lori Douglas

8. Mayor Rob Ford

4. Trayvon Martin

9. Justin Trudeau

5. Alison Redford

10. Ashley Smith

Top 5 Scandals:
The Royals continue to make headlines that rarely focus on their good
deeds. Along with other well-known names, they found themselves
unexpectedly exposed. From Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson's
cheating scandal to the doping revelations that shattered Lance
Armstrong's legendary career, 2012 had its fair share of seedy
celebrity news, including:

Top 10 Say What?
When a bagel head trend makes a top list of anything, you know it's been
an interesting year. Between celebrities talking to empty chairs,
tanning moms, cannibal attacks and real life dolls, what else is there
to say?

1. Time Magazine breastfeeding cover

6. Bagel head trend

2. Clint Eastwood empty chair

7. Donald Trump's rant

3. Miami cannibal attack

8. Rush Limbaugh Slutgate

4. Tanning mom

9. 10-year old girl gives birth

5. Real life Barbie and Ken

10. Air rage - Maygan Sensenberger

Top 10 Celebrities:
Is Lindsay coming out of or going into jail? Did Miley cut her hair for
Liam? Will Jennifer Aniston finally find the man of her dreams? The
top 10 Celebrities who had a whirlwind year include:

1. Lindsay Lohan

6. Jessica Biel / Justin Timberlake

2. Britney Spears

7. Katie Holmes

3. Jennifer Lawrence

8. Rihanna / Chris Brown

4. Jennifer Aniston

9. Christina Aguilera

5. Miley Cyrus

10. Lady Gaga

Top 10 Movies:
Love, action and Lincoln all made the list of Top 10 Movies this year.
Other-worldly super heroes and heroines dominated such movies as The
Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider Man, the Avengers and Hunger
Games. Bond returned for a 50th anniversary. And don't forget Magic
Mike, because the world loves abs!

1. Hunger Games

6. The Hobbit

2. The Dark Knight Rises

7. Magic Mike

3. The Amazing Spider Man

8. Skyfall

4. The Avengers

9. Lincoln

5. Breaking Dawn Part II

10. The Bourne Legacy

Top 10 Sports Stories:
Highs, lows, laughs and, in what may be a first, an Olympic gif
dominated the sports world in 2012. The Olympics were the top search,
followed by Lance Armstrong's much-publicized fall from grace. Canada's
women's soccer team made us proud, even amongst controversy. In a
lighter story, McKayla Maroney's unimpressed (and hilarious) demeanor
spawned gifs that appeared all over the internet.

1. London Olympics

6. 2012 NHL lockout

2. Lance Armstrong doping

7. McKayla Maroney not impressed

3. Canada's women's soccer team

8. NFL replacement referees

4. Sarah Burke dies after ski crash

9. Embarrassing Olympic photo

5. Euro 2012

10. Ron MacLean 9/11 comments

Top 10 Sports People:
Super heroes dominated the movies in 2012, but real-life heroes
fascinated the sports world. At the Olympics, Christine Sinclair's
fiery display resulted in a suspension, while Usain Bolt sped his way
to three gold medals. Manny Pacquiao showed the world that boxing still
packs a punch in a media landscape increasingly dominated by MMA.
Amongst all the year's highs and lows, Gary Bettman's continued
performance in the NHL lockout has made him one of the year's top 10
sports people.

1. Christine Sinclair

6. Jeremy Lin

2. Usain Bolt

7. Manny Pacquiao

3. Gabby Douglas

8. Simon Whitfield

4. Rosannagh MacLennan

9. Hope Solo

5. Jared Connaughton

10. Gary Bettman

Top 10 In Memoriam:
The world lost many great people this year. From the moon's first man to
the man who helmed American Bandstand, 2012 reminded us of the rich
lives lived by our cultural icons in sciences and the arts. Amongst the
year's Top 10 in Memoriam are some of the most treasured, unique and
diverse voices that changed popular music across generations, including
Etta James, Whitney Houston, Donna Summer and Adam Yauch.

1. Whitney Houston

6. Dick Clark

2. Robin Gibb

7. Etta James

3. Michael Clarke Duncan

8. Donna Summer

4. Neil Armstrong

9. Anthony Sedlak

5. Adam Yauch

10. Peter Lougheed

About the Yahoo! Year in Review Methodology
To develop the Yahoo! Year in Review, our editors analyze Yahoo! Search
queries based on a number of factors, including absolute volume and
growth versus previous periods, to see which themes and trends bubble
to the surface. Individuals and their Search queries always remain
anonymous.

About Yahoo! Canada
Yahoo! is focused on making the world's daily habits more inspiring and
entertaining. By creating highly personalized experiences for our
users, we keep people connected to what matters most to them, across
devices and around the world. In turn, we create value for advertisers
by connecting them with the audiences that build their businesses.
Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., and has offices located
throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific (APAC) and the Europe, Middle
East and Africa (EMEA) regions. For more information, visit the
pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net or the company's blog yodel.yahoo.com).

Yahoo! Canada services Canadians in both English and in French through
its sites, www.yahoo.ca and http://qc.yahoo.com/. In Canada, Yahoo! sites were visited by more than 16 million unique
Canadians in September, 2012 (comScore Media Metrix). Yahoo! Canada is
headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Yahoo! is the trademark and/or
registered trademark of Yahoo! Inc.

All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.

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